Nature Does Not Knock
by OatsDynamo
Summary: Ash's road to victory is drastically altered when a fourth trainer arrives before him on that first step of his journey. With Pikachu under the care of another, and no starter of his own, will Ash not have the resolve to move forward, or is heroism simply in his blood?
1. Lost Opportunities

**Disclaimer: I do not nor could I ever own Pokémon. Pokémon is owned by Nintendo, The Pokémon Company, Creatures, Game Freak and Satoshi Tajiri. No profit was made in the writing of this fanfic. And that's all I have to say about that.**

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Chapter One: Lost Opportunities

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Ash Ketchum was a boy from Pallet Town.

He lived in the incredible world of Pokémon, a world full of adventure, wonder and excitement. In the land of Kanto, when children reached the age of ten, they could register to receive their Pokémon license, and become an official Pokémon trainer. For some, Pokémon were pets. Others use them for battling. Local ten year olds were given their beginner Pokémon from Professor Samuel Oak, the town's Pokémon expert. They could choose from three starters, the Grass type Bulbasaur, the Fire type Charmander, and the Water type Squirtle. This choice was of the utmost importance, for the trainer would help these young Pokémon to develop their powers and grow strong. Nobody was quite sure how many types of Pokémon there are, for they come in all shapes and sizes, but Pokémon Masters aimed to catch them all.

Ash Ketchum was one such aspiring trainer. Like many others, ever since he was little, he had hoped of one day becoming a Pokémon Master. The way to become one was complicated and often highly disputed, but normally, a trainer had to battle their way through the eight Gym Leaders of Kanto and defeat every trainer at the Indigo League Championship. Once a League Champ, a trainer could then challenge the infamous Elite Four, and finally, the current Regional Champion. Kanto's Champion was the Dragon Master Lance. Only after he's defeated was one declared the new Champion and official Pokémon Master.

For Ash, that journey began today. It would be a long one, but Ash was ready. He was determined. He was also... running late.

"Oh no! What time is it?!" Ash pulled himself out of his bed's tangles, Voltorb alarm clock broken at his feet. Shoving on shoes on over his green pajamas, he raced out the front door of his house, desperate to reach the Professor's on time. "Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Charmander! Anyone's fine! Just save one for me!" Sprinting across the small country town, he reached the front steps of Professor Oak's Research Laboratory, panting for breath. Outside the Lab, a veritable parade stood waiting as a sendoff to the town's prodigal son, and grandson to the Pokémon Professor, Gary Oak. Ash shoved his way through the well-wishers, before suddenly bumping into Gary himself, resulting in his feet being knocked out from under him.

Gary turned angrily to the grounded Ash. "Hey, watch where you're going!" He made a show of straightening out his purple long sleeved shirt, which in turn jostled a yellow and green yin-yang pendant he wore around his neck. Noticing who it was that had bumped into him, he continued with, "Oh hey, it's Ash! Better late than never, I guess! At least you get the chance to see me off!"

Gary?" Ash wondered as he climbed to his feet. How could he not recognize the boy standing above him? The two didn't exactly have the smoothest history with one another.

"Mr. Gary to _you_! Show some respect!" Gary said in a lazy attempt to instigate a fight. "Well, Ash, you snooze, you lose, and you're way behind right from the start! _I've_ got a Pokemon and you don't!"

Discouraged, Ash asked, "You… got your first Pokémon?" That meant the choices would be fewer now. He frowned at the implications.

"That's right, loser! And it's right inside this Pokéball." Gary expertly spun a standard red Pokéball on his finger. Turning to the gathered crowd, he addressed his loyal subjects. "Thank you fans! Thank you all for this great honor. I promise you that I will become a Pokémon Master, and make the town of Pallet known all round the world!" The crowd broke into cheers at his proclamation.

"Excuse me?" Ash interrupted again. He had to know, if only so that he would be able to pick the Pokémon with an advantage. "I was just wondering if you could tell me what _kind_ of Pokémon you got."

Gary shoved his face into Ash's, forcing him to lean back. "None of your business! If you showed up on time, you woulda seen that I got the best Pokémon from Professor Oak! It's good to have a grandfather in the Pokémon business, isn't it!" Making his way to his nearby red convertible, he said his farewells, now expertly ignoring Ash. "Thank you for coming out to see history in the making! Now I, Gary Oak, am off to learn the ways of the Pokémon trainer!" His car quickly disappeared into the distance, the crowd following as well, leaving Ash standing alone in front of the Laboratory.

Gary's disappearance only served to fuel Ash's determination. Ash clenched his fists, letting a cocky smirk smear itself across his face. He said a quick, "I'll show you," to the departing vehicle, and turned to make his way up the steps. He made his way through the halls of the lab to Professor Oak's office, where he knew the Professor to be waiting. He made sure not to run _too_ much, having been scolded for doing just that in the past.

Arriving at the right room, his hand settled around the doorknob, but paused in hearing an unfamiliar voice from inside. The voice was deep enough to be male, but definitely young. It probably belonged to another hopeful trainer. At the moment, it was asking, "Does that mean all the Pokémon are gone?"

Professor Oak responded with a tentative, "Well, there is still one left, but I…"

Immediately, the voice rushed to say, "Professor, I'll take it!"

At that, metaphorical alarms blared in Ash's mind. Twisting the doorknob, he stormed into the room as well, and yelled to its occupants, "No, wait! I want it!"

Professor Oak and the other child turned towards Ash at his interruption. Oak's face twisted into a slight scowl, as he observed the disheveled Ash's appearance. "Ash? So, you decided to show up after all."

Ash answered back with a quick apology. "Yes, sorry Professor! I got messed up this morning, and I was a little late. But believe me, I'm ready for a Pokémon!" He stood firm, not wanting to miss his chance to become a trainer.

Unfortunately for Ash, fate seemed to have a different idea in mind. "You look like you're ready for bed, not for Pokémon training. I hope you don't think you're going to train in your pajamas." Ash moved to defend himself, but the Professor had already moved on. "Besides, I was just saying how all of the Pokémon but one were already taken by kids who weren't late. And seeing as how Yellow was here first…"

Ash felt a great rush of shame, which quickly evolved into unjust anger. He turned a glare onto the trainer who was going to get what should be _his_ Pokémon, whose brown eyes shifted away from his uncomfortably. Yellow fiddled with a round straw hat of theirs, clearly uncomfortable to be in the position of standing in the way of Ash's journey.

The whole situation struck Ash as odd. Pallet Town was a small and pretty place, as rural as you can get. Everybody knew everybody here, and yet this Yellow was completely unfamiliar to him. Obviously, he was from another city. Who was he anyway? Ash decided to ask just that.

"I'm Yellow de Viridian Grove. Nice to meet you." The kid treated him with a small wave as well.

Ash muttered back a less than heartfelt greeting in return. Viridian City, huh? Setting aside his frustration for a moment, he couldn't help but think of what an odd name this Yellow had. Considering the mass of blonde hair hidden underneath that hat, it was actually quite fitting.

He turned his attention back to more important matters. There was still one question Ash had to ask, but hadn't yet out of fear. Fear of that which he already knew. A fear of being left behind. He set that fear aside long enough to ask the question they all knew was coming. "Does that mean that I don't get a Pokemon?"

Professor Oak looked uncomfortable at crushing such an enthusiastic kid's dreams, but he couldn't dance around the facts. Not even for Ash. "I'm afraid not."

So his adventure was to be over before it ever even began. Ash tried to hold it back, but with that simple sentence ended all of his dreams. Ash slumped his head forward in defeat, and refused to make any more eye contact.

Yellow decided to take that moment to interject. "Umm… can I get my Pokémon now?" Having not wanted to draw Ash's anger upon anyone else, the question came out more hesitant than intended.

Back on track, Oak responded with an, "Ah yes. One second." He walked back across the room to where there sat a mechanical stand, upon which were arranged three empty Pokéballs in a triangle. Pressing his thumb onto a nearby button, a Pokéball with a yellow lightning bolt appeared out of the center of the formation. Picking it up out of the device, Professor Oak warned Yellow, "I think I should tell you, there is a problem with this last one."

"Don't worry, I can handle it!" Yellow insisted, looking particularly excited to be receiving a starter now that the awkwardness had passed.

"Well, in that case." Oak handed over the Pokéball to Yellow, who quickly released the Pokémon caught inside. A bright light filled the room, as the Electric Mouse's form took shape. "It's name is Pikachu."

Clipping the lightning marked Pokéball to their leather belt, Yellow shifted a knee length sleeveless orange shirt out of the way in order to kneel down in front of the Pikachu.

"Hi there Pikachu! I hope we can be friends." Ash and Professor Oak watched as the boy brought a hand to Pikachu's head, but stopped short when the Mouse let off some sparks in warning. Yellow's hand halted, but did not pull away. "What's wrong?"

Pikachu merely turned his head away with a disinterested "Pi."

This seemed to mean something to them both, as Yellow asked, "Why not?"

A mere "Pika-Pika" was the reply.

This disappointed his new partner, as Yellow rushed to answer the unintelligible PikaSpeak. "Th-that's not true! We're partners now!" Standing up, determination shone on the kid's face, despite Pikachu's indifference. "You'll see, we'll make an awesome team in no time!"

When it came to Pokémon speech, Professor Oak was deeply out of his depth. Perhaps Yellow actually understood Pikachu, or maybe this was just a quirk. Truthfully, nothing he knew would point towards either answer, which was seen in the utterly lost look he bore.

After snapping himself back to attention, Oak continued the process of setting Yellow up as a trainer. He handed over half a dozen Pokéballs and his famed Pokédex to Yellow, who accepted them with gusto.

Meanwhile, Ash, fists clenched firmly by his sides, was immersed in an entirely different mindset. Bitter feelings raced through his mind: _Why does he get a Pokemon but I don't? He was, what, two minutes ahead of me? It's not fair! _At that moment, Ash wanted nothing more than to have Pikachu as his own, even if that meant it wouldn't listen to him. At least then he wouldn't be stuck in Pallet Town._  
_

Noticing the boy's attitude, Professor Oak took pity on him. He had heard from Delia how excited Ash was to begin his journey. The way she had put it, Ash would talk to anybody who would listen to the rantings of a ten year old these days. To have that stolen from him was cruel. He laid a hand on the boy's shoulder to get his attention. Allowing him a moment to recollect himself, he tried to cheer the boy up. "Don't worry Ash. I raise a fresh batch of Pokémon every six months. While that may seem like a long time now, the time will fly by before you know it."

Ash understood what Oak was attempting, and flashed a smile to relieve him of any worry. "Don't worry Professor. I'll be fine. Like you said, it's only six months." Six endlessly long months to go. Gary will practically be an expert by then.

Samuel Oak was no fool. He could see that Ash would, in fact, not be fine. Despite the boy's beliefs, he was not a very good actor. Oak decided to try another approach. "You know, Ash, I could use a little help around the ranch, what with this new batch of trainers going out."

That caught Ash's attention. In the past, he wasn't allowed access to any of the Pokémon under the Professor's care, the work being considered far too dangerous. Such an offer would have been a dream come true before today. Still, could such a thing truly compare to being a trainer? "I just really wanted a Pokémon of my own. How am I going to become a Pokémon Master if I'm stuck in Pallet Town?"

Oak pressed forward. "Working here would help you prepare for your journey, you know. Why, you could learn how to care for all of the different types of Pokémon I keep in my lab! Going out into the world unprepared isn't going to get you anywhere but in trouble." To sweeten the pot, he added, "Besides, I'd be more than happy to pay you for your time."

Ash relented just a little bit. After a self pitying sigh, he despondently said to Oak, "I guess..." His eyes drifted to Pikachu, who was still pointedly ignoring his trainer.

"Excellent! Meet me here at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning." An idea seemed to occur to Oak, as he rushed back to his desk. "Here, a little reading material for you." From deep within, he pulled out a worn red textbook. Across the front cover, in a faded bright yellow, were the words, _'The Official Pokémon_ _Handbook'_. "Seeing as you're not a trainer, I can't give you a Pokédex, but this will serve you just as well."

Ash gripped the offered book, his hand brushing past a singed mark in the corner from a no doubt a long forgotten incident. Opening the cover, Ash flipped through the old tome, finding more than just trainer tips. Sitting alongside the fading text of the notebook were intricate drawings of a wide variety of Pokémon, a number of them completely unfamiliar to Ash. Some sections were crossed out, while others were rewritten completely by hand. On the inside cover, in that same scrawl, was the name _Sam_.

"In there are several methods every trainer should learn in order to properly care for their Pokémon," Oak said, pulling Ash out of his scrutiny. "Why, in my training days, I carried that book around so often, Agatha used to say I'd wash out and end up a breeder if I wasn't careful." He let out a deep laugh at the nostalgic thought.

Ash listened with half an ear to what was be said while guessing at the meaning of this unusual gift. Sensing the Professor's eyes on him, he rushed to find the appropriate response. "Thanks." He didn't know why he was receiving it, but from the heartfelt look about the Professor, Ash knew it must be quite meaningful. Feeling a mere thanks to be inadequate, Ash tried again to show his gratitude. "Thank you very much!" He added in a bow for good measure.

"Take good care of it." Just then, the moment was interrupted by a blast of Thundershock, as Yellow's electrified form lit up the room. "Excuse me one moment!" He rushed back to help the poor kid with their Pikachu, leaving Ash to his thoughts.

* * *

Hours later, Ash lied face down on his bed, alone in his room. The Pokémon Handbook lay by the foot of his bed, forgotten. Despite everyone's best efforts, the small happiness he had found from Oak's gift had left him the moment he stepped outside the Professor's Lab, only to come face to face with his mother, Delia. She had been standing there in tears, oblivious to her son's fate, waiting to see off her baby boy on his journey. Ash barely had the heart to tell her what happened.

For the last few weeks at least, he had been obsessing over the ever advancing date that he'd become a trainer, able to travel throughout the world, discovering new Pokémon. The thought had never occurred to him that he'd be stuck lying in bed, left to merely dream about what he's missing out on. Even _with _his Pokémon Trainer's license, his mother wouldn't have him traveling to Viridian City, let alone throughout the world, without a Pokémon of his own to protect him.

While that darned Gary! Ash could only guess at how much of a lead he would have, and what he would have to say to Ash the next time they met.

Ash could just imagine it now: In six months time, Gary would return to his grandfather's Lab with an enormous Indigo League trophy hefted upon his shoulders. Ash, fully decked out in a maid outfit, would peer pitifully at his former rival from the Ponyta stables that he's cleaning, envy filling his heart. "I bet you wish that you woke up on time now, _don't_ you Ashy-boy?" As the dream faded away, a fist found itself buried into his old Snorlax plushy to help relieve some of his frustration. It wasn't very effective.

Eventually, he grew tired of the disheartening thoughts, and he made his way to the room's window, where storm winds railed against the side of the house. It had begun earlier in the day, accompanied by the occasional clap of thunder, and did absolutely nothing to improve his mood. Something in his very soul ached to be out in that storm, amongst his fellow trainers and the monsters of the world.

Compelled by his despair, he couldn't even give the time needed to even consider helping out at the Lab. It wasn't that the Professor's offer wasn't appealing. Few things could be further from the truth. Like his father before him, training Pokémon was just in his blood. He had to experience it for himself! No amount of lab work would ever matter to him if they weren't his own hard-earned Pokémon staring back at him every day.

Time passed. He wasn't sure how much exactly, but dinner had been a while ago, if the plate of cold cheeseburgers by the foot of his door was any indication. His mom must have gone all out to try to cheer him up. It wasn't until the thunderstorm began to clear that Ash's mind refocused on what was happening around him. As if from a legend or dream, the clouds parted to reveal a colorful rainbow, as bright as the sun. Its golden glow drew the eye, as the light stretched out to fill the entire sky. Ash stared long at the colorful arc, perfectly framed in his window, as if a gift from the Gods. Silently, and without recognition, a spark of happiness returned to him for the first time in hours.

As the seconds ticked by in front of that window, a thought occurred to the boy. Why _should _his journey be stopped? It's not like he couldn't catch a Pokémon of his own. People in other cities catch their starters by themselves, so why couldn't he? He could leave in the middle of the night, so as to avoid detection. There wouldn't be anybody would be waiting on the edge of town to stop him from entering Route 1's tall grass. If he left now, Gary and that Yellow guy would barely have a head start. He could catch up.

That day, under the rainbow's light, he made his pledge to the world. "I will be the strongest trainer there ever was: a Pokémon Master!"_  
_

Ash waited until nightfall to leave. If his mom or Professor Oak caught him before he can catch a Pokémon, then he'd be right back where he started. He grabbed his green rucksack, packed that morning by his mom. She had listed everything that was inside as she prepared to send him off on his journey. He wavered for a moment from the awkward weight. Some things in it more necessary than others, but it would have to do. Grabbing his Official Pokémon League Expo hat off of his bed stand, he placed the coveted hat on his head. He took a moment to pack away Professor Oak's handbook as well, despite how undeserved it felt to take. Still, there was no turning back; he was ready. Under the cover of darkness, he slipped from his home of ten years, out the back door and off to adventure.

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**Author Note: This was my first attempt at fiction of any kind, so if possible, be considerate and point out any faults. It was originally designed as a For Want of a Nail fic, but the story evolved to include elements that would have clearly been unaffected by the original change. Call it what you will, but that's how the story will unfold. While based in the anime universe, a good number of the changes will be inspired by one series or another, including the introduction of Yellow from the Adventures manga. Go read it. NOW!**


	2. The Demon Drill

**Previously on Nature Does Not Knock: ****Under the cover of darkness, he slipped from his home of ten years, out the back door and off to adventure.**

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Chapter 2: The Demon Drill

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Daylight struck a pair of eyes as ten year old Ash Ketchum awoke from under a tree along the open fields of Route 1. His hand came up to block the sun, but the deed was already done. Blinking away the lingering sleep, Ash crawled out of his sleeping bag and stretched awake with a groan. Unused to sleeping outside, his body ached with a pain that often accompanies the uninitiated camper. Feeling oddly hungry, he reached into his bag, grabbed an apple, and brought the rat to his face. Wait...

Ash blinked nonsensically as he stared at the Rattata held in his hand. His tired brain caught up to the situation, and he dropped the Pokémon with a yelp. True to form, there at his feet sat a pack of Rattata rooting through his stuff. One wore a pair of his underwear on his head, while another two fought over a small block of cheese. The newly dropped rat shook its head and hissed at the boy, who instinctively grabbed his pack and shook it at them, sending them running.

Collecting his scattered items, Ash swiped the fallen cheese from the ground. With a frown set upon his face, he laid back against his tree, and said to himself, "Well, this day started out with a bang." After eating the ruined cheese and an apple from his bag, he smacked both of his cheeks for a jolt, and stood up from his camping spot.

"Okay! Time to catch myself a Pokémon!", Ash shouted to nobody in particular. He slung his backpack onto his shoulders, and set to skulk through the fields. It wasn't long until he spotted a Pidgey out for its morning hunt. He almost jumped right to catching it, before remembering that Pokémon had to be battled first. Ash frowned to himself, and idled over his problem. The Pidgey had long flown off, with another having taken its place, before Ash decided on how to approach it. "I've got an idea!"

His idea, which involved trapping the bird in his pajamas, inevitably failed. He never said it was a _good_ idea. After being blown back by a particularly rough Gust attack, Ash stood up and shook his pockets free of the Pidgey's sand. He was all too glad that nobody from Pallet was around to see his utter failure. Spotting another group of Pidgey, he ran forward to confront them, only for the birds to fly off.

Ash's shoulders slumped, thoroughly discouraged. He didn't think that it would be _this _impossible. He had always assumed that wild Pokémon would at least stick around long enough to be captured, but these Pokémon just acted like he was a nuisance that would eventually just go away if ignored long enough.

Compelled now by a need to prove to himself that he can do this, he grabbed a rock. He prepared himself for a fight, ready to throw at the first sign of movement. Somewhere in the back of his poor diluted mind, Ash remembered that flying types are weak against rock moves, so he therefore considered this a good plan. Away in the distance, another tiny bird sat eating. This was NOT a Pidgey. Unfortunately for Ash, he didn't get close enough to find this out. His eyes locked on the tiny Pokémon. He tossed and caught the rock in a small show of dexterity as he got ready to take the Pidgey down. "I'll get you this time."

The rock soared high into the air, far from the fist from which it was thrown. It curved in a perfect arc to land square on the Pokémon's head, causing a large bump to form. Ash let out a whoop of excitement at his successful throw, catching the attention of the now disturbed bird.

He realized his mistake only too late, and was only able to identify the Pokémon because of the furious call of "Spearow!" that it made as it flew directly at his head. Unlike Pidgey, Spearow were not known for running away from confrontations.

Spearow narrowly missed Ash's head as he made a desperate dive to safety, landing on top of his bag. Ash hurried to his feet, and brought said bag up as a makeshift shield. Spearow arced gracefully through the sky to bring itself around for another attack at the fool who dared ambush it. Ash knew that, like his battles with the Pidgey, he would have to finish this fight himself. He set himself in a batting stance, backpack ready to swing.

"Come and get it, Spearow!" he yelled to the skies, a determined scowl set on his face.

The Spearow, having realized that the boy was attempting to fight back, flapped its wings to push itself away from the swing in time. It curved upwards, wind coating its form as it shot into the sky. Ash watched as the flying type looped back in his direction and braced to intercept the attack.

At the last moment however, the Spearow disappeared in a flash of speed and rammed into Ash's back with more than enough momentum to send him tumbling head first into the ground. A more experienced trainer would have recognized the move as an Aerial Ace, but all that Ash realized was that this Pokémon could _hurt_. "I can't take one of those again," Ash said to himself, while rubbing his soon-to-be bruised back.

Getting back to his feet, weapon at the ready, he prepared himself to face the wild. Spearow, sensing a round two, flew around again to hover directly in front of Ash. Again it began its deadly offensive, beak striking out furiously at the human in a flurry of blows. Ash blocked as best as he could with his bag, and reached out with his other hand to grasp at his foe. The exchange was short but costly. Through some miracle of luck, Ash managed to grasp his flailing hand around his opponent.

If Ash had one advantage here, it was his size. Before either fighter quite realized what had happened, Ash had brought the Spearow down to the ground, and pinned it under his knee. The tiny bird struggled valiantly for freedom, but despite its efforts, the boy's weight was too great for it to maneuver out of.

"I've got you now!" Ash said to the downed Pokémon. Victorious, he swung his pack onto his back and reached to his belt to finish the capture.

The Spearow, not one to be defeated, let out a great cry and lit up in a powerful light. It was then that Ash witnessed his first evolution. It couldn't have come at a more inopportune time. Ash both felt and watched as the bird's body shifted under him. The flying type's wings, where before they were built for quickly dashing short distances, became long and powerful, designed more with stamina in mind. The rock-induced bump on its head became covered by a red comb-shaped crest. Its neck stretched out, giving it a much greater range of attack. Finally, and perhaps mostly importantly, the bird's beak grew three sizes that day. The scrappy Spearow had become the mighty Fearow, and Ash was sitting on top of it.

Fearow's form bucked from underneath Ash and, as unprepared as he was, even all of his weight couldn't prevent him from being sent flying off. The great bird stretched its new frame, and slowly turned towards the now much smaller prey. With a tremendous caw, the Beak Pokémon swooped in far too fast for Ash to maneuver away from. In a sharp burst of pain, Fearow's drill bit into Ash, and his vision faded away.

* * *

Ash awoke for the second time that morning, this time to small pecks along his legs. Half asleep, he kicked out his right leg, prompting the bird nipping there to let out a squawk. A retaliatory snap on his eyelid woke him fully. He sat up abruptly, sending the baby Spearow scurrying. After reassuring himself that he still had his pack and hat, he rose to his feet.

"Where am I?" Ash wondered aloud. Glancing around, he found himself in a tall tree, surrounded by Spearow. A few of the smaller ones circled him in curiosity, while the larger ones slept higher up in the tree's branches. The tree in question was so thick, Ash couldn't see the ground from where he stood, yet the branches where still thick enough to hold his form.

He started looking around to find a path safely down before the babies started to attack him again, or worse, that Fearow returned to finish him off. Time was something he didn't have, as one of the Spearow, unnoticed before now, cawed angrily at him from another branch that hung near his head. It was at this point that Ash realized he was beginning to draw attention to himself, as several pairs of eyes were drawn in his direction. Ash flinched backward, overwhelmed as he was by the situation he placed himself into. If he didn't act fast, he'd end up bird food!

That's when Ash spotted it. Less than a meter from where he lay, a lone branch hung from an offshoot of the tree, broken off by the previous night's storm. Rising to his feet, Ash, mindful of his footing, carefully rushed to free the branch from its capture, so that he may escape from his. Wielding it like a club, he swung his weapon at the approaching Spearow to ward them off.

As unused to the unwieldy weight of it he was, his swing was clumsy, and the Spearow lazily flew around it. One in particular took advantage of his sluggishness, and dove at him, beak lighting up for a Peck attack. The boy did his best to avoid the attack, but his inelegant dodge caused his foot to slide off to the branch's left. Ash managed to keep his grip on the tree, but not the stick, letting it tumble out of sight to be caught on some unseen limb down below.

"Uh oh!" Looking up into the eyes of the Spearow above him, he foolishly asked, "A little help?" In response, the bird began pecking his arms, nearly forcing him to plummet. He couldn't hold back his yelp of pain, but his grip on the tree held strong. "Ow! Quit it!" The Spearow ceased its attack, letting Ash struggle up the branch. He never noticed the hush that fell upon the entire flock.

Ash ignored the shot of back pain from the Fearow's earlier attack as he climbed to his feet and leered at his attackers. "What's the big idea? You better let me go, or else I'll-"

The Spearow never learned what Ash planned on doing to them. Truthfully, they weren't even listening. All eyes were keenly focused on a spot far below him. Ash barely heard the snap of a branch before a new player emerged. Two purple Ekans and a menacingly large Arbok lunged past Ash's head, jaws trying to snatch a snack out of the sky.

The next few minutes of Ash's life flew by in a blur of danger, as chaos erupted within the tree around him. The Spearow flew around his head in a flurry, fighting for their life not to be caught in the maws of their snake adversaries. Ash watched a sharp set of fangs clamp down on the back of a particularly slow bird. The snake immediately wrapped around its prize to feed.

Ash was thrown by this new terror before him. Pokémon battles were one thing, but this horrifying ambush was far from his view of how this world worked. It wasn't until much later that Ash realized that this was only to be his first look into the brutality that life had to offer.

It occurred to him then that with the Ekans and Spearow distracting one another, his escape back to Route 1 was all but guaranteed. He moved to do so, but caught a sight that filled him with dread. One of the Ekans, taking advantage of the chaos his brethren were causing, was slithering towards an unprotected nest of what could only be Spearow eggs.

"Leave them alone!" Without thinking of his actions, Ash scuttled up the tree branches towards the reptile, pulling the strap of his bag off of his shoulder and into his hands. No matter what, he couldn't let Ekans get away with killing these babies. Truth be told, Ash always had a soft spot for the eggs the Professor kept, and the potential each one held within. The egg thief, noticing the human who would dare stop its hunt, coiled itself in a spiral, and faced him directly. It let out a hiss of warning. Ash, despite being intimidated, stood firm. This was something he could prevent.

With a mighty swing, his backpack collided with the head of the Ekans, stunning it. This gave Ash enough time for a second swing, which sent it sliding off of the arm of the tree, tumbling through the air and out of sight. With his opponent defeated and the eggs safe, it was time to get out of there.

He took a single step towards the trunk and his best bet down. In that moment, one of the predators stopped short its chase. Ash watched in dread as the Arbok's eyes trailed down to rest on him. Its slow slither forward unnerved Ash in a way he had never felt before. Ash glanced down at the captivating patterns upon its belly which spelled danger. Surely, its forked tongue could taste his fear. All that Ash knew was that, as long as it had eyes only for him, he was in serious danger. There was no goal but to escape.

He backed up a step, again forgetting about the importance of the branch below him. The Arbok slipped out of sight as Ash fell. For the second time that day, his grip on the tree became his only saving grace.

So silent was its movement, Ash didn't see or hear his pursuer until it sat above him on the branch. Its black eyes locked on Ash's flailing frame, legs dangling. Opening its mouth, it ejected a wave of air, causing an eerie hiss to ring harshly in Ash's ears. Knowing that he couldn't stay there hanging, Ash took a blind leap of faith, and released his grip.

From his side erupted a harsh burst of pain, his body having spun slightly in midair. From his spot face down on the tree branch, he could make out a small sliver of the grass below. He raised his sight to the limb above, where Arbok still sat, as though it were unperturbed by the attempted escape. Its tongue tasted the air in seeming anticipation. In an instant, it struck.

Or at least, it would have. From out of the foliage Fearow appeared, piercing the snake midair with a devastating Peck attack. Arbok, managed to recover admirably, despite being caught unaware by the attack. With its lower body, it wrapped itself around a branch down on Ash's level, and raised itself back up into a proper attacking position. Even the yellow eyes upon its belly seemed to gleam in anticipation as it sized up its new target.

With Fearow distracting the snakes, Ash was able to comfortably settle into a crook in the tree until the action died down a bit. Despite his feelings and the situation at hand, Ash knew that he owed a debt to Fearow for saving him just now. He just knew that Arbok would have gotten him if it wasn't for that timely intervention.

In order to know what was going on around him, Ash stuck his head out out from his crook just in time to see a group of Spearow toss an Ekans, which was now too fat to move, out of the tree from a dangerous height. Rather than colliding with the ground, however, it wrapped itself on a branch farther down below. Without the support of Arbok, it just stayed where it was, eyes tracking the battle above.

Fearow and the Arbok were locked in a standstill on opposite sides of the tree, standing as though it were an official battlefield. Even the slightest vibration would be immediately picked up by Arbok's sensitive body. Likewise, a shift in weight would be spotted by Fearow's sharp eyes. Of course, both Pokémon were battlers, and had no intention of running.

Arbok struck first.

The snake flew across the tree, mouth open to take a bite out of Fearow. It wasn't nearly fast enough, letting Fearow fly away from the attack. Ash recognized the aerial loop that Fearow spun into as the attack he was hit with earlier, but Arbok only pulled back to strike again, unaware of the quality of this particular attack. Sure enough, right before it reached Arbok in a head on collision, the bird blurred out of sight and slammed into it from the side.

Arbok's body was blown backward, slamming harshly into the tree trunk. So mighty was the blow, bark and leaves rained down on Ash from the shock that ran through the area. Fearow steadied itself in the air, hovering low to avoid the branches above. Arbok proved its resilience, barely pausing in pain before opening its maw and firing a mass of poison through the air.

A dip of the wing was all that was needed to swerve out of the way of the Acid attack. Ash could tell from the way the acid ate through the branches that, if it had landed, it would have taken a serious toll on Fearow. Not missing a beat in this battle, Fearow charged forward again with a Peck attack, determined to defend the Spearow above.

In a vicious response, Arbok raised itself on high and stuck out its chest, drawing notice to the pattern of its belly. The face within seemed to glare directly at Fearow. So mesmerizing and terrifying was this vision, Fearow was unwittingly halted in its charge, Peck attack powering down into nothingness. Seeing its chance, Arbok lunged forward, teeth poised to sink into Fearow's flesh. Ash screamed out a warning, but it was all too late. The bite landed, and as to make matters even worse, erupted into a burst of lightning. Bolts of electricity sparked off of Arbok's fangs, shooting deep into Fearow's screeching frame.

Without pause, Ash climbed out of his crook, and rushed to Fearow's aid. Despite their rocky start, Ash's debt to the bird that wouldn't go unpaid. Now, it was his turn to help. He threw his full weight into a tackle, knocking Arbok off and away from the bird. Fearow, sensing a temporary alliance, took advantage of the aid provided, and flew at the snake with a fearsome screech, talons poised to tear its eyes out.

Arbok clenched its eyelids shut in pain, a courtesy not afforded many to other snake-like Pokémon. It tore its head to the side, avoiding most of the damage, but couldn't prevent itself from being knocked out of the tree, just like the Ekans were before him. After a rough impact with the ground, Arbok opened its eyes to find itself lying alongside its other fallen brethren. The three slithered away, defeated, letting out a hiss of vengeance, promising to return to finish what they started.

Now that the battle was done, the Spearow, not wanting to stay around where the snakes could just attack again, took to the air. A few of the older Spearow, no doubt the parents, grabbed hold of the Pokémon eggs in their talons and flew off as well. From what Ash could tell, they were heading due west. With the others gone, Ash and Fearow found themselves alone as the only two left remaining. Ash turned to Fearow, apprehension creeping up his spine, but only received a tempered look from the bird, who let out a cry of its name, and promptly flew off after its flock. A wave of relief washed over the boy all too suddenly.

He watched the Fearow fly off from his branch. The limb that Ash sat upon was one of the few on his level of the tree that escaped from the scuffle relatively unscathed. All around him, branches were either snapped in half or stripped clean of their foliage. Acid marks were scattered across the trunk, and a particularly large scar was left on the branch that Fearow just stood. No bird Pokémon would be able to use this tree as their home for a long time.

The adrenaline still making its way through his system made him want to run about, but he stayed leaning against the trunk, eyes locked on the Fearow flying off into the distance, and breathed deeply. It was then that he saw an shot of electricity arc across Fearow's form, faltering it in its flight. Ash could only watch in morbid fascination as his unexpected savior tumbled into the forest below.

* * *

It took Ash longer than necessary to reach the forest floor from his perch. He had been trying not to stretch the areas of his torso that were injured over the past few hours, causing the climb down to become a slow endeavor.

He wasn't sure how long it had been since he'd been dragged into that tree, but a glance at the sun in the sky told him that it was barely past noon. How odd that time should move so slow when this morning felt like a lifetime ago. Ash idly wondered if all battles would be this draining.

Still, he had work to do. He stared off in the direction Fearow had landed. In its condition, Fearow would be an open target for any passing Pokémon. Ash knew that he couldn't leave it to that fate. Not now that he knew how dangerous this route could become. Perhaps there was something to the idea that people shouldn't roam around without any Pokémon.

After wandering around, Ash eventually found Fearow in a clearing not too far from the road. It was trying and failing to scramble to its feet, desperate in its attempt to return to its fleeing family. He watched as it took to the air again, only to fall to the forest floor a second time. Ash could tell if it continued on before being healed, it was only going to hurt itself further.

He pushed himself forward, ignoring his own injuries in favor of Fearow's. He cried out, "Wait! Stop!" to the bird, hoping to give it pause. Only then could he find a way to help to struggling Pokémon in front of him.

Fearow saw the boy running towards it, and took the meaning of it differently. Not wanting to be attacked in its weakened state, it pushed off with its wing yet again, taking to the skies, only for Ash to tackle Fearow around the back, sending the two tumbling to the ground. Fearow struck out blindly, furiously attacking Ash with its beak. Into that attack, Fearow pushed all of its desperation and hope of survival.

"Wait - Ack! - Fearow, I'm - Ow! - I'm trying to help! Will. You. Quit it!" Ash tried his best to subdue the monster throwing attacks down upon him. As misguided as his choice to hold the Fearow down was, he was going to see it through. "STOP!"

Perhaps it was stunned by his yell, or just the electricity, but miraculously, Fearow stopped. Ash exhaled a sigh at the respite, and climbed off of the bird after assuring himself that it wasn't going to fly off and get itself even further hurt. Locking eyes with the great beast, he spoke to it in his most commanding tone. "You're hurt, and won't be flying anywhere in the condition you're in. Let me help you."

Fearow's eyes widened at the words, clearly unbelieving. Of all the things he expected of this human, an offer to help was among the last things he expected. He expected to be captured or killed. It was all that could be hoped for when living in the the wild. Still, a glance down at the bite marks on its chest told him that the boy spoke true. He wouldn't be flying anywhere. He'd let his wounds be treated. And just maybe...

Ash saw the fight leave the Fearow, and nodded in satisfaction. Stepping forward, Ash set to work using the little knowledge and supplies he had. Removing the only potion kept in his bag, Ash sprayed the Pokémon's wounds with a healthy dose. Almost immediately, the scratches and wounds from the fight and flight closed up. Such was the power of modern medicine. They weren't gone altogether, but enough so that the damage would be able to undo itself naturally.

Healed of its wounds, Fearow rose to its feet. Somehow, a miracle had occurred. The pain throughout its body was gone, and this boy, who minutes earlier was a mere annoyance, was the one responsible. It made to stretch out its wings, but another spark of electricity caused it to stumble.

"Ah Fearow! You're still hurt!" Ash exclaimed, and rushed to help support its weight. Fearow flinched away from his touch, so the boy backed off, not wanting to withstand another Fury Attack. He couldn't figure out what was wrong. It had to be something Arbok did. Was it that electric attack?

A wave of inspiration came to Ash in a flash. "I know!" Dropping his bag onto the ground, he rifled through its contents under the curious gaze of Fearow, and quickly found the book that he was looking for. "I'll bet Professor Oak left something in here to help me figure this out!"

Fearow watched the child who came to its aid through squinted eyes. Despite its earlier attack on this _Ash_, he defended their flock from the Ekans who had long hunted them. Together, they found victory. And now here he sat hovering over something of his that he said would help. A thought nagged in the back of its mind: _Why is he helping me in the first place?_

Ash fumbled with the pages of the Official Pokémon Handbook, looking for any clue as to how to go about treating an injured Pokémon. In his ignorance, he skipped over the index entirely. His fingers slipped as he handled a random page a bit too forcefully, tearing a small line across a particularly fine drawing of a Poliwag.

"Oops." Ash looked at the ruined drawing in guilt for a moment, before continuing his search. He'd have time for regret later.

Through sheer luck, he found the page that introduced the steps to treating a Pokémon yourself. Ash leant over the book and read the section with an uncharacteristic focus, intent on determining the ailment.

_In order to treat a Pokémon, you must first ascertain the problem. With an understanding of the __Pokémon_'s injury and proper treatment, your partner will be back to battling in no time.  


_But first, find out a little about the Pokémon. Is it a boy? Or is it a girl?_

He quickly ignored what was written in the introductory paragraphs, and instead flipped deeper into the book. From what he could gather, he eventually came to the conclusion that a status condition, that being where a Pokémon is crippled but not injured, seemed to best fit Fearow's condition. He could only hope. Finding the right section, he continued on.

_Status ailments affect a Pokémon's ability to battle. There are three kinds of-_

Ketchum turned the page to find the one that actually mentioned what the various types of status were. He didn't need to know about every status, only the one Fearow was suffering from _now_! His eyes skimmed the pages, looking for any mention of electric attacks.

It wasn't long before he found the one he was looking for: Paralysis. Based on what he read, a paralyzed Pokémon's speed is severely reduced, with them often not even able to move. Fortune was on their side; paralysis didn't seem to be fatal. Ash breathed out a deep sigh of relief at that. The treatment was simple, if found. Ash read through the entry of one of the cures, committing the text to memory.

_Cheri Berry, also known as the Paralysis-Curing Berry._

_This small, bright red berry is very spicy and has a provocative flavor. It blooms with delicate, pretty flowers._

Next to this was a picture of the berries being referenced. Admittedly, Ash didn't know what provocative meant, but he was pretty sure he could find one with this description regardless. He closed the book with a snap, and set out to find the right tree.

"I'll be right back, Fearow," he called to his companion. Fearow let out a soft squawk, which Ash took as understanding, and ran off to find their cure.

* * *

A batch of Cheri Berries were located just off of the main road of Route 1, and took less than half an hour for Ash to find and collect. When he returned with the small red berries in his hat, Fearow remained roosting in the same spot Ash had left it.

It took a little convincing before Fearow would eat the mysterious berries place before it, but after Ash showed they were safe by testing one himself, Fearow eventually obliged. In less than a minute, its tightened muscles had relaxed. Once it felt completely recovered, it threw open its wings with a mighty cry of "Fearow!" Up close, its wingspan seemed greater than ever.

Ash grinned at the Pokémon's successful recovery. Despite the two's rough start, he was growing fond of the creature. He may actually miss him. "That's great, Fearow!" Fearow locked eyes with the boy, but Ash failed to notice. Pointing to the west, where he knew the Spearow flock to have flown, he directed Fearow home. "Your friends went that way. You should be able to catch them if you hurry."

Fearow's eyes left Ash's to trail off towards the west, where the sun would set in just a few hours. Fearow were mighty flyers. They were known for their great stamina, able to fly for hours on end without resting. And yet, Fearow did not move from its perch.

Ash's confusion grew at that. "Aren't you going to follow them?" Ash's voice drew Fearow's attention back to him, where it locked eyes with Ash again, much fiercer this time. It seemed keen on conveying its feelings to the boy, no matter how long as it took.

A small hope built up in Ash's chest. One that he knew he shouldn't bet on, but it lingered nonetheless. Regardless of the ridiculousness of the notion, Ash _did_ need a Pokémon, and this wasn't exactly an opportunity Ash should let pass by Obliging his curiosity, he asked, "Do you... wanna come with me, Fearow?"

The bird bent its head low, and replied, "Row." Its eyes shined with an unidentifiable emotion, but Ash's face was a different story.

Despite how hard he tried to suppress his reaction, Ash couldn't contain it. For a few moments, his lips quivered with emotion, and eventually, an immensely large smile broke out across his face. With an enthusiasm exclusive to preteen boys, he leapt at the predator with unconstrained joy.

"_Yes!_ Thank you Fearow! Just you wait, we're gonna be awesome! No one will stop us, not Gary, not Yellow, not even Lance! Ahahahahaha!" Ash danced from foot to foot, arms locked firmly around the neck of his first Pokémon, laughing uncontrollably.

Fearow was not amused.

After a mild calm came over the kid, he had enough sense to officially finish the capture. "Okay Fearow! Welcome to the team!" Ash reached to his belt to do so, but there was something missing. Something critical. Ash's face went slack with bewilderment. It took him a few seconds to realize his blunder.

"Gah! I don't have any Pokéballs!" The memory came to him like all forgotten memories do, far too late. The image of Professor Oak handing Yellow six Pokéballs alongside the Pokédex passed through his mind. Without those Pokéballs, he had no hope of catching anything.

Ash's head fell to his chest with a moan. "I didn't think this through, did I?"

In reply, his Pokémon just let out what could only be a sigh of derision. What a trainer it chose. Still, it knew that this silly human had something different about him. He fought battles that he shouldn't, ones that he couldn't hope to win, and still came out on top. Yes, Fearow could respect him, however foolish he may seem.

Ash, ever determined, wasn't going to let his short-sightedness stand in his way. Not now. Grabbing the rim of his hat, he gave it a twist so that he donned it backwards. An edge of steel came to his eyes. Finally letting go of Fearow's neck, much to its relief, Ash pointed north.

"Let's go Fearow. To Viridian City!"

* * *

**Author Notes: My thanks go out to all of you who have reviewed or favorited so far. Regarding the choice of starters, while Fearow may seem like an odd choice, I've spent so much time planning this fic, writing Ash and Fearow feels as natural as any two characters can be. Needless to say, the two will grow close. I find the dynamic much more interesting than this fandom's more common partners. Fearow is positively feral when compared to Pikachu or Lucario, who, character-wise, are practically human. As always, your thoughts on Ash's first adventure will be appreciated. By all means, tell me if I could've done anything better. Keep an eye out for my next update, which should be within a week or two.  
**


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